Job Notes: 10
by PogMahon
Summary: River has been out of the 'business' for a long time, well...maybe not TOTALLY out, but far enough removed to put a little space between herself and the demons that haunt her. When an old friend calls asking for help she goes back, but the echos of her traumas still effect her. Fortunately the friend that called her in has a team willing to help her build a future


Prologue

 _I couldn't see, the room was too dark. Or was I blind folded?_

 _I couldn't move, my arms were tied above me. Was I laying down?_

 _I couldn't breathe, there was a weight on my chest. Someone kneeling on me?_

 _A voice from above laughed, a low sinister sound vibrating through me as I felt metal touch the skin against my left collar bone and I twitched away from the cold in surprise._

 _A gun barrel. Sadly not the first time I'd felt one against my skin._

 _What had happened? The last thing I remember, I was on a job. A simple in and out con. Did something go wrong? I couldn't remember, my mind was fuzzy._

 _A hand slid down my right side, skin on skin, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. Where were my clothes?_

 _The weight above me shifted and I felt breath against my face. I strained against my bonds, my body lifting my captor with the movement. The gun barrel pressed into my skin_

 _"This will go much smoother if you do not fight" his voice was thick and low, tinted with a Russian accent. Not unfamiliar but no less confusing._

 _"Victor I…" I started, but he cut me off, his hand covering the lower half of my face so I couldn't breathe, let alone speak._

 _"NO. You have lost the privilege of calling me by name. The only sounds your pretty mouth should make are pleas for my mercy. You may even get it, but you know how much I enjoy begging." The gun barrel moved up, off of my collar bone but still touching the top of my shoulder where it met my neck, digging into the muscle there. "So, my lisichka. Will you beg for me?"_

 _His hand left my face and I inhaled sharply. I felt my throat tightening against the words I was trying to push out but I managed._

 _"Please…"_

 _The gun went off, tearing through my trapezius. Someone was screaming, it echoed in my head. Victor's hand wrapped around my throat and the scream stopped, only then did I realize it was me._

Chapter 1: The Rebound Job

I was starting to get restless here, I knew I would. I had every other place I'd moved to after Boston. I'd rent a place, stay a while, consult on some jobs but not take anything more complicated than a quick con for myself. Maybe a forgery here, a small theft there. Nothing that I couldn't handle alone. It would go well for a few months, then I'd get bored and move on to someplace new. I'd been doing this for almost two years now. I went onto my patio, taking in the morning sun as I sat cross legged in my chair, trying to meditate.

'Meditate.' I laughed to myself. I never thought I'd be a 'meditate' kind of person but It's the closest word I could think of to describe my morning routine of calming my mind and organizing my thoughts before I left my apartment. I hadn't always needed to do this but I'd added it to my routine once the nightmares started. I needed to take time in the morning to remind myself that I wasn't still in that nightmare, that I was fine. That I'd survived and everything was ok. Consciously calming my mind helped, of course the daily MMA training after my thoughts were properly gathered didn't hurt either.

Something beeped from within the apartment, probably my phone. I ignored it going back to my routine and the beeping stopped. I forgot about it for the time being, eating a light breakfast and showering before the blinking notification light on my phone told me I had a voicemail from an unknown number. My heart sped up, my instinct expecting the worst as I put in the password to hear the message. I relaxed as a familiar British voice floated from the phone.

"You're still screening calls I see. Well, I have a job for you if you're interested, I know you haven't taken a big job in a while Riv but I think it's time to get back on the horse, or the bicycle or whatever that saying is. Anyway, don't try to call me back, this isn't my number. If you aren't interested just ignore this and keep doing whatever you're doing, wherever you are…If you are interested then come to Boston, you remember McRory's right? Meet me there a week from today, say seven?"

The voicemail ended. Sophie knew me too well, leaving me a vague message about a job with no details. She knew I'd show up out of curiosity and once I showed? Well I was already there so why not help out. I knew I would take the job before I even decided for sure I was ready to go back to Boston, it was Sophie.

One week later and I was having a drink at McRory's, it hadn't changed. I was an hour early and had chosen a seat at a table instead of a booth, it was too easy to be cornered in a booth. I sat with my back to the wall so I could see the entire room in front of me, both exits in my peripheral. I trusted Sophie, don't let my paranoia make you think otherwise, paranoia is just a habit you grow into when you have a job that is…less than legal.

I stirred my coke with my cocktail straw, it was just coke but for some reason an adult in a bar without an alcoholic beverage made people suspicious. I sat and sipped, patiently waiting for Sophie, people watching in the meantime. People came and went, mostly older couples on their regular 'date night' drink, cute really. A few younger kids, maybe college age, came in on their evening bar rounds, only staying for a few quiet drinks before leaving once they realized this wasn't a party bar. One young couple came in, I'm not sure what made me think they were a dating couple, they weren't holding hands or anything but their overall body language told me there was something between them. The girl was a cute blonde, tall and skinny, dressed in black. They guy with her was tall, dark skinned and wearing a Blizzard entertainment tee shirt. They went straight to the bar, talking quietly to the bartender before walking into the back room, funny. I wouldn't have pegged them for regulars. As the blonde's ponytail disappeared into the room a hand from within kept the door from shutting behind her. The man that walked out wasn't extraordinarily tall, maybe 5'8"-5'9", but taller than me. He was stocky with a muscular build that made him look a little shorter than he probably was. He wore jeans and a long sleeve tee shirt, the sleeves pushed up to his elbows revealing a leather cuff on one wrist. Not something many guys could pull off but he did. As I kept looking I realized the same could be said about his hair, shoulder length and dark brown but it suited him. I tried to stop watching him, being caught staring would be as conspicuous as anything else I could be doing and I didn't want attention, I didn't stop myself fast enough and he saw me looking. With a smile he ordered a drink from the bartender and walked toward my table.

"This seat taken?" he asked, his low voice tinted with a southern drawl and easily heard over the soft murmur of the bar crowd. Just great, I'm here to meet a grifter about a job and this guy picks me as his entertainment for the evening. I guess I asked for it, I was the one checking him out.

"Um, no but," he sat down, "I'm kind of meeting someone."

"Oh." He brushed a hand through his hair, "I can leave or, if you don't mind I can just keep you company until he gets here?"

"She" I said quickly, not knowing why I felt the need to correct him.

"Oh…"he started to scoot his chair away from the table to leave, "I'm sorry, I…"

I mentally smacked myself.

"On no, I'm not…I'm not gay" I laughed as he scooted back to the table. "I'm meeting a friend."

He smiled and leaned forward, elbows resting on the table. Why had I done that? Wasn't I just thinking that I didn't want company, that I hadn't wanted him to sit down in the first place? I wasn't good at small talk with strangers, why hadn't I just let him leave? I wasn't good at talking to people unless I was conning them…well that's a thought. Maybe he would be good fun after all.

"I'm sorry." He started, "when you said she I shouldn't have, I just"

"Assumed." I cut him off. "Yea I followed that train of thought. In your defense I wasn't super clear."

We talked for a while, normal conversation. Exchanging names and pleasantries, telling him the truth where the truth wouldn't be giving too much away and deftly avoiding questions I didn't want to answer by steering them back toward him, touching his arm on the table every now and then when I spoke, refocusing his attention on the conversation and the table. After a while I was comfortable enough to stop treating him like a mark and notice that his blue eyes lit up when he laughed and his smile made my stomach flip flop. Maybe that's the real reason I didn't run him off, it had been a long time since I'd let the butterflies in my gut flutter for anyone.

"Well you two seem to be getting along nicely." Sophie's voice sang from my shoulder smiled.

"Hey Sophie!" I said, turning to her, realizing that Eliot had said 'hey Sophie' almost in unison with me. I turned back to him.

"You know Sophie?"

That smile again. "Yea. We, uh. Work together." She sat down across from him.

"Oh" was all I could say. It was supposed to come out as 'oh. Really tell me more' but came out more like 'oh, crap, that means she probably sent you out to talk to me while I waited on her'. SO much for the attractive tough guy actually being interested. I had to say something other than 'oh'. I smiled.

"Well…I guess I should give this back then." I pulled his wallet out of my purse and laid it on the table. He patted his back pockets, checking them as though seeing his wallet on the table wasn't proof enough it wasn't there.

"Crap, when did you…" he looked at Sophie and she smiled. "Never mind." he grabbed the wallet and shoved it back into his pocket. "So you're a thief?"

"Among other things. "I smiled.

"She started out as a forger, "Sophie started. She always liked to brag about me when she had a job for me. I always felt like she was grifting the team into letting me in but I was used to it. She continued. "Once she realized that grifting was just forging a person she became great at that too, almost as good as me." She added with a smile. I turned to him.

"Let me guess." I looked him up and down, he leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms and making a point to make eye contact. I felt goosebumps rise on the back of my neck but ignored them. "Hitter?"

Sophie snorted a little as she tried not to laugh at how easily I'd guessed.

"Ooo are we playing guess the job?" the black guy from before had pulled up a chair at the table.

"I like games, can we play!?" the blonde sat down beside him. I leaned back in my chair, seeing Sophie watching me out of the corner of my eye. I pointed at the Horde tee shirt, "Hacker?" he looked down before popping the collar of the tee.

"For the horde, damn Skippy." He smiled and held a hand across the table and I shook it. "Hardison."

I looked at the blonde and she smiled, I smiled back.

"That's parker. Thief."

"How did you." Sophie started.

"Cool I'm Famous!" Parker cut her off.

"I know Parker, sort of. Never really in person but she has a reputation, an impressive one."

She smiled, putting some pretzels in her mouth while the other's all starred at her.

"So Sophie, who's your friend?" Parker said through a mouth fill of pretzels.

"Everyone this is River." With her accent it came out as 'Riva' which I always liked.

"What can she do?" Parker asked, leaning forward like the table was having a super-secret conversation. The pub had pretty much cleared out so there was really no reason to whisper. I answered before Sophie could.

"Well usually when I ran with Sophie she would play grifter, I could be her second if she needed one but she's pretty capable. Normally She would keep them distracted and get us in while I took what we came for and…got us out of things went south."

"Ooo another thief!" Parker lit up," how fast can you pick a lock, Ooo we can race!"

I laughed, I'd never seen someone so excited to meet a thief before.

"Wait a minute." Hardison cut parker off." When you say 'got you outta things' what do you mean by that like, get you out get you out?"

"I don't really know what you are asking…"I laughed, a nervous habit and Sophie answered, apparently understanding his meaning.

"She was my hitter, yes."

Eliot's eyes widened, looking me over.

"What, a chick can't be a hitter?"

"What? No, wait" he stumbled, "I didn't say" he looked around the table for backup before looking back at me "I didn't say that"

"Then what's with the look?"

"You're just…"

"I'm just…what?" I teased.

"Just" he held his hands out in front of him, about a foot apart, "so tiny."

"I prefer to call it 'unsuspecting'." I whispered. At 5'3" and 135 pounds I thought of myself as average more than tiny but I knew that I looked small, most of my weight being muscle. (Honestly some of it boobs, although I usually kept my C cups hidden under loose tee shirts)

"unsuspecting…"he seemed to be thinking." Yeah I will give you that."

"I believe it was Shakespeare who said 'Though she be but little, she is fierce', but don't worry Eliot," Sophie reached over and patted his hand, patronizing him. "You are still the second best looking hitter I have ever worked with."

"Oh no!" Hardison interjected, "second prettiest, that will never do. We need a rematch, evening wear, swimsuits, the whole shebang. Yes, yes I see it now, there will be a talent portion!"

"Hardison!" Eliot growled, a little gravel in his voice.

"Aww come on man! No? Ok, well I can at least make you a real nice runner up sash." He mimed a beauty pageant sash, puffing his chest out to emphasize his movements. Eliot's lip started to curl up in another growl but a new voice beat him to it.

"Hardison!" the new voice was authoritative and stern, coming from behind Hardison. I looked past him to see the bartender. "If you're all done deciding who's the prettiest, I'd like to get started."

The bartender was Nate, the brains behind the operation. He didn't look like much, mid to late forties, short hair. Not short enough to be truly professional but not so long that he couldn't pass if he combed it right.

He explained the plan, it was simple as far as jobs went. Pro's called it a 'damsel in distress' con. They needed me because Sophie had conned this location before and they knew her face. I was just going to be the distraction, strictly a grifter role. We'd get in, Eliot would be my back up/stand in date (you didn't go to this kind of event alone, showing up without a date would throw up red flags.) Once in we would cause a scene and try to get into a back room where we could access a security panel for Hardison to hack. Once hacked, Parker would get in and get what we needed, some art piece. Nate had explained how stealing this would help some people but to be honest I'd kind of let my mind wander during that part.

Sophie took me to her room and helped me figure out what I'd be wearing to the party. As she pulled a strapless black slinky dress from the closet with a pair of matching Louboutin pumps I laughed. It was 8:15, the event had started at eight so I'd be fashionably late. I'd only been in Boston for a little over two hours.

"So what would you have done if I hadn't shown up?" I asked, realizing that they would have been a man short if I hadn't showed. She looked at me, head tilting to one side. A gesture that told me she knew I'd come because she asked. There was never any doubt about that. "Right…you know I hate that you know me better than I know me sometimes."

"Oh don't lie Riv, you know you love it. "

I rolled my eyes at her as I took the dress, making sure to look more exasperated than I really was. On some level she was right, which led me to my next question.

"So. Is that why you sent Eliot down to talk to me while I waited on you? Because you know me so well."

I turned my back to her and started changing into the dress, looking down at the dress as though I needed to so I could step into it. I wasn't afraid to change clothes in front of her but I didn't want to see her face when she answered. If she lied and I saw her face I would know it but if I didn't see her lie I may not know she was lying. When she didn't answer I looked up to see her in the mirror. She was holding the shoes out, waiting for me to turn back around before she answered.

"I didn't know Eliot was there. He doesn't usually come down to the bar if no one else is down there. I was honestly surprised when I came down and saw him sitting with you. I mean, Eliot isn't shy but I didn't expect you to let anyone sit and chat."

"Well…"I started but I didn't know what I was going to say. I looked at myself in the mirror, smoothing the skirt that fell just above my knee and brushing my hand through my hair so that it fell over left my shoulder.

"Oh My God. Riva!" she said loudly before changing quickly to a whisper, "You think Eliot is cute don't you." The whisper was so sharp it almost came out as a hiss and I felt my cheeks flush. "You do!"

"Yea, well. He isn't' bad…"I started but my sentence let it drift off.

"Oh no no no no, don't let my teasing you change your mind! This is good Riv! Really good, I know you haven't…not since…" she stopped, not wanting to bring up the past.

"Sophie, he's good looking. I liked talking to him. That's all. I'm not ready for more than that I…"

I stopped talking, what was I going to say? I'm not better? I'm still scared? Scared of anything that catches me off guard; a quick movement, an unexpected touch. No. it's better to not say anything else.

"Riva." She sat down beside me on the bed as I pulled on the shoes. "I'm not trying to push you into anything you aren't ready for, I'm just happy for you. That you've gotten to the point where you can see a cute guy sitting in front of you instead of…"

"Instead of Victor." I finished for her, her eye's rose. Last time we'd talked I hadn't been able to say his name.

Hardison knocked on the half open door.

"Everybody decent?"

"Come in Hardison" Sophie answered, getting up from the bed.

He walked in and handed me an earbud, I put it in place and could hear Parker in the other room, apparently the only one already wearing hers.

"You're going to need these." He held out his hand giving me a pair of what looked like diamond stud earrings but the part that would go through my ear looked like a plug for headphones. He handed me the first one.

"This one is the auxiliary plug. Put it in your right ear." I did as he said, the left followed as he explained where that one would need to go. "Oh yea, and this." He pulled a box out of his back pocket and handed it to me. When I opened it there was a diamond necklace inside. Sophie took it out of the box and fastened it in place, it looked great with the dress and the earrings, it also rested right over the smooth pink scar that crossed the pale skin where my neck curved into my shoulder.

"So what does this do?" I asked.

"Nothing." He smiled. "Just makes you look fancy."

"Right…"

He handed me the embossed invitation to the party along with my ID for the night in a small clutch. Sophie started talking me through the whole plan again as we came into the living room.

"I've got it Soph, no worries."

She sighed.

"I know, I just…"

"Yea you're worried. But if I didn't think I could handle it do you think I'd be here?"

"You're Right but-"

"No but Sophie. I've got this." She smiled and nodded, looking over my shoulder at Eliot as he came into the room. She brushed past me, descending on him like a shark on prey.

"YOU!" he stepped back away from her, a deer in the headlights look flashed across his eyes as he tied his hair back into a band, "You better take good care of her out there or I'll, I'll"

He regained his composure quickly, lowering his hands as he interrupted her, "You will do unspeakable horrible things to me, yea. Geeze Soph you're like her mom. I'll have her back by curfew, scouts honor."

He held the door for me and we walked out.

There was a limo out front and Hardison brushed past us to the driver side door, adjusting a chauffer's cap on his head. Eliot opened the door for me and I slid into the back seat. Parker was already in the car waiting for us. That's the best thing about highbrow private parties, as long as you had a driver and blacked out windows you could get anything on the premises. No one expects a rich person to bring a thief and sixty pounds of climbing gear with them. Other than the soft sounds of Hardison singing to himself and Parker mumbling over her gear the ride to the event was quiet. Eliot watched out the window the whole time, alert to everything happening on the other side of the glass and I caught myself watching all of them at some point on the drive. They were all so comfortable with each other that no one needed to talk, they all did what they needed to do and trusted each other to get things done. It was nice.

As we pulled into the event Valet drop off everyone else put in coms. Hardison parked at the entrance and came around to open the door for us. Eliot offered me a hand as I got out and I took it. As he lifted me out of the seat Hardison smiled and winked as he whispered:

"Have fun."

Fun, right…the last time I'd run a job like this it hadn't gone well and as much as I told Sophie I could handle it the past still clouded my mind. I was good, I could do this but I wasn't sure if 'fun' was really on the menu for me. We walked to the door, showing our invitations with smiles and greeting, passing the entry with no issue.

I handed Eliot the invitations to put in his jacket pocket, they wouldn't fit in my small clutch. As I did I heard a hissed curse under Eliot's breath that sounded remarkably like 'Damn it Hardison'

I heard Hardison laugh in my ear. "Hey man, I felt bad you were demoted to second best looking hitter and I thought you could use a pick me up and I made it haaappen" he sang the word 'happen'.

"So you made me the arm candy?"

I smiled, the invitation had my alias on it, Amelia Pond a model and heiress to an international hotel chain. Also the name of a Doctor Who character and I wondered why Hardison decided to name me after a companion but now wasn't the time to ask. Eliot had been listed on the invitation as my plus one. No name, just plus one. The date.

"Why does the girl need to be the arm candy?" I asked as I took Eliot's elbow.

"Now that's not what I meant" he started but I didn't let him finish.

"Well come on then Dr. Abernathy." That got him to smile and he winked and answered me, letting a little extra twang into his voice, "We've been over this Darlin', Wes is just fine."

The hair on the back of my neck stood at attention at the way he said 'darlin' and he led me into the main room. We still had some time to kill before could start, Nate wanted most of the guests to be in the large ballroom before we started. Eliot and I scoped the room for exits, for the rooms we needed access too and for the optimal point of distraction. Of course we'd had all this mapped out for us beforehand but mapping a blueprint and being there are two different things. What if your planned exit on the blueprint is blocked by a buffet table in real life? You need to know this before you try to run through a table of cream puffs and shrimp cocktails. As we made our rounds we chatted idly with a few other guests, enough to not seem suspicious at least before we made our way out onto the dance floor. Normally something I'm opposed to and judging by Eliot's face it wasn't his favorite but it was a necessary evil considering the best place for the most distracted guests was the center of the room. We started to walk and as I brushed against the crowd my mind flashed back to my last con. The job mirrored this one eerily, same premise; Pose as a couple, distract the crowd and gain access to a back room. Eliot took my right hand in his left as he moved to stand in front of me but I didn't see him, I saw my last partner and I jumped when his other hand touched my hip. An apology sprang to my lips.

"Sorry I…" I started, resting my free hand on his shoulder.

"Little jumpy?" he smiled. "It's ok to be nervous, Sophie said you've been out of the business a while."

"No, it's not that. It's not the job." I shouldn't have corrected his assumption, it would have been simpler to let him think its job jitters."

"Oh" that smile touched his lips and his eyes sparked," So it's me? I make you nervous?"

"NO!" I said too quickly and he chuckled a little, "I mean you clean up nice and all but not enough to make me jumpy." He started to say something again but I kept talking, "It's not you ok just a …personal space thing that I have. The touching makes me jumpy so in that respect I guess kind of you but I was distracted and it just…surprised me." We swayed to the music, moving closer together as though we were a couple comfortable with each other and not two stranger who only met a few hours earlier. We stayed close like that for a moment before he broke the silence, speaking softly in my ear.

"So you were thinking about something else?"

"Hmm?" I asked, again lost in my own mind, this time thinking about the job at hand. Listening to the voices in my ear as the others got into positions.

"I was just wondering what you were thinking about that distracted you."

I knew what he was doing, he was trying to keep my mind here, in the moment instead of focusing on the com conversation. A rookie move on my part, Sophie was right, I was out of practice. I wasn't going to tell him the truth but I wasn't going to stop the conversation.

"I was thinking you were never a boy scout."

"What?" he chucked and I felt his body shake with the sound.

"You told Sophie 'scouts honor' before we left. I'd bet money you were never a boy scout."

"Tell you what, you let me take you out and I will convince you I was."

My brain froze for a moment, flipping between all the reasons to say no and asking him if he had the uniform but before my mouth could decide which answer to give Hardison's voice crackled over the coms and I thanked whatever god answers the prayers of thieves.

"SHOWTIME!"

This was the easy part. No chit chat, no dancing. Once we had the greenlight the show started. I winked at Eliot to let him know I was ready, when he winked back I rolled my eyes and let my body go limp. He caught me as my knees buckled and I mentally thanked him. I couldn't count how many time's I'd run this con where my partner was a butterfingers and my head bounced off floor. Do you know how much that hurts? How hard it is to keep grifting with a concussion.

I heard Eliot shouting for help over the crowd as I laid there acting faint. I had to hand it to him, for a hitter he had some seriously unbelievable grifter skills and by that I mean I completely believed him. The note of concern in his voice as he yelled for help really sold the whole 'my date just unexpectedly fainted' rouse.

I felt the crowd pressing around us and heard a man telling Eliot to take me to one of the back rooms so I could get some air. This was my least favorite part of the plan, the part where I was useless. Eyes closed and trusting my partner not to drop me or walk me into a doorway. As he lifted me off the ground he hooked my knees over his left arm and ticked my head into his shoulder with his right. I noticed that he smelled very nice and quickly swept that thought away. I relaxed knowing that the way he was holding me meant that I wasn't likely to get a concussion, it made playing opossum easier. Although I did have to fight back a sneeze when a stray hair from Eliot's ponytail tickled at my nose. If that was the only obstacle I had to handle this evening then this was going great.

I heard the clicking of a doorknob as the security guard opened let us in to a small private room. Eliot's voice vibrated in his throat as he thanked him and laid me on a soft couch. The guard handed Eliot a bottle of water as Eliot said something about me being over excited or not eating enough and guard mumbled back sympathetically but didn't seem to be leaving us alone anytime soon, which is what we needed him to do. Clearly this wasn't his first event, he probably assumed I faked a faint so we could have a private room for some young irresponsible heiress sexcapades. If I wasn't supposed to be playing unconscious I'd laugh. Before Eliot could think of something to say to get him out the door swung open. Nate's voice filled the room, speaking a million miles a minute about some kids stealing keys from valet parking. The guard slurred apologies at us as he followed Nate to the parking lot and Sophie's voice came over the coms.

"I don't know how long Nate can keep him busy. Work fast."

I kicked off my heels as I got off the couch and pulled out my right earring as I walked to the control panel with Eliot.

"Remember right is Auxiliary." I said, handing him the right earring.

"And left goes into the AV jack, I remember." I handed him the other earring as Hardison spoke over the com.

"Don't mix them up or you'll fry the board."

"Well I hope you put them in the right ears then Hardison." Eliot said, tearing off his tie and pulling out a wire that had been hidden there. "Get back on the couch before he gets back!"

I watched as he put the jewelry in place and strung the wire between them, laying back on the couch as he put the security panel's cover back in place. Hardison announced that he was in and the doorknob rattled, the guard had locked if behind him when he'd left. In two long strides Eliot was beside me on the couch folding his tie and pouring water on it before slapping it onto my forehead. The cold water startled me and I felt Eliot shaking with stifled laughter beside me as the guard walked in.

"Everything alright?" Eliot asked.

"Yea," the guard answered. "Just some kids. How is she?"

I let my eyes flutter open and let a small smile reach the corner of my lips.

"I told him I was perfectly fine but he just won't listen." The guard smiled.

"Well Ma'am you gave us quite a scare there. I'm glad you're alright. Your boyfriend took real good care of you." Eliot smiled and looked at me like a doting boyfriend would and said gently,

"I really think we should go home, I know you wanted to stay until the end but I'm sure no one will blame us for leaving early. You did make quite a scene out there when you fainted."

I sighed at him dramatically. "You're right" Hardison's voice crackled telling me to stall, that Parker needed more time. He couldn't pick us up until Parker was in the limo. I kept talking, "but do you think we could make one more round of the room darling? I'd hate to leave without assuring everyone that I'm alright." Eliot's eyebrow twitched up at the 'darling' but he followed my lead.

"Alright. You know I can't argue with you. But maybe a trip to the ladies room first to freshen up? I'm afraid I ruined your hair with that cold compress." He brushed the hair off my forehead as he spoke and goosebumps prickled across my arms. I

"You mean your silk tie?" I took it from his hands." You may as well leave it in the trash here, its ruined." he leaned over and planted a kiss on the wet top of my head. "Completely worth it."

He helped me up and the guard showed us to a restroom I could use. My hair looked fine but I took my time anyway, the longer I could stall here the less we'd have to hobnob at the party. As I pretended to primp I listened to the chatter in my ear. Parker was saying she needed something that she didn't bring to bypass a lock and Hardison was running through other options she may be able to improvise with when Sophie cut in.

"Riva are you there?"

"Yea Sophie. What's up?" I whispered.

"Where are you?"

"Employee restroom, main floor, back hall. Why?"

"Ok. Stay there. Parker go down a level and three vents left. Riv she is headed your way, give her your bra."

"My WHAT?" I said a little too loud. And I heard Eliot ask if I was ok through the door.

"Yes! I'm fine. I just can't get my hair to cooperate!" I hoped that was a good enough excuse to keep the guard from coming to check on me as I asked, "Sophie why does she need my bra?"

"She can use the underwire on the lock."

"RIGHT!" Parker's voice piped excitedly, "it's sturdy and the curve should be almost perfect!"

"Why me?"

"I don't have wires" Parker answered.

"And I'm too far away" Sophie said as Parker popped out of the vent above me, hanging upside down from a harness.

"Hurry! Hand it over!" She whispered.

"This is ridiculous." I grumped as I unfastened my bra and pulled it out of the top of my dress. At least it was strapless so it was quick, unfortunately the air in this place was cranked and my dress was now leaving little to the imagination. I heard Eliot rap on the door as Parker disappeared into the ceiling and I knew I needed to get out there. I poked my face out of the doorway.

"Wes, could I have your jacket please?" I asked sheepishly. He smiled, having heard the whole conversation he knew why I was asking but with the guard there he couldn't give me a hard time about it anymore than I could scold him for hesitating to hand it over. I kept talking, "When I fell I must have ripped my dress…"Hardison cut in on the earbuds.

"We're done. Get out."

I exhaled and continued. "I think we can skip saying goodbye to everyone, this nice man," I gestured to the guard, "can reassure everyone I'm alright but I can't walk out in a ripped dress." I put on my most believable pouting face and he took off his jacket, passing it to me through the doorway. I slipped it on, noting that it smelled like his cologne as Eliot asked for a back exit. The guard walked us out and we climbed into the limo.

We all met back at the pub, mission accomplished. I sat on the couch, bending down to pull off my heels as Nate congratulated everyone on a job well done. Sophie sat beside me patting my shoulder and praising my acting. I thanked her, pulling Eliot's jacket tighter around me as everyone crowded into the seats around us, overly aware of how naked I felt all of the sudden. Everyone muttered 'good jobs' and 'well done' to each other, it was nice to be part of a team again. I missed it, I hadn't realized how much.

Once everyone slid into comfortable conversation I excused myself and went to the room where I'd changed earlier. I put my normal clothes back on and put the dress and shoes back in the closet. I walked to the window and looked out at the city. I should stay here a while, I'd been away for a few years and still had an apartment a few blocks from the pub that I'd left untouched after my last job. It didn't matter that I owned the building, I'd needed to leave town and I'd done so without much looking back. I didn't have a key to the apartment on me but the bottom floor was rented out as a gym and the owner had my spare set. I'd given him permission to rent out the apartment but I don't think he ever did. I decided without really deciding that I was going, reached for the window and heard a voice behind me.

"Where are you going?" I jumped a little, I hadn't heard Nate walk up. I hadn't talked much to him but Sophie said he was a good guy and I trusted her.

"Oh, I was just…"

"Leaving?"

"Yes. Kind of. I mean, job's over right? You don't need me anymore. You've got a grifter, a hitter…"

"I could always use a spare." He smiled and I laughed.

"Yea, cause everyone wants to be the team spare." I said with mock enthusiasm. He opened his mouth to explain that wasn't what he meant but I knew that and I cut him off. "Look, I appreciate the offer and…I'm staying in town a while I think. Keep my number if you need a spare but I don't want you to feel obligated to keep me around just because I did this job. I was just…" He cut me off this time.

"Going to leave without all the complicated goodbye parts?"

"Good guess. Besides if you are going to need help again it's not really bye so much as not being here in the between time."

"I get it, but I wanted you to know that I would want you to stay. Sophie…Sophie told me your last job ended badly." I balked but he held up a hand so he could continue, "She didn't give me details and I didn't ask for them. She just wanted me to know before she called you in that if you turned down a team job that you had your reasons. I don't need to know what those reasons are if you don't want me to. That's fine. But you work well with my crew. That's what I do know, and I think getting back on the job could be good for you. Just think about it.

He turned to go and I unlocked the window, telling him I would think about it.

"We do have a front door you know."

"You do." I answered, one leg already on the fire escape. "But this doesn't involve walking through a populated living room."

"That bad at say saying goodbye?"

"Pretty much." I answered as I slipped out the window.


End file.
